Mechanical time-fuse.



A. JUNGHANS.

MECHANICAL TIME FUSE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1o, 191s.

1,069.09@ Patented July 29, 1913.

w added.'

Y y Losanna.

NTTED STATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

ARTHUR. JUNGHANS, or SGHRAM'BERGQGEEMANY;

MECHANICAL TIME-FUSE.

. many, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical T ime- Fuses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a mechanical timefuse, for artillery projectiles, driven by,4 a

centrifugalweight.

Most of the well-known mechanical timefor artillery projectiles are provided with springdriven clockwork. This mode of driving has certain disadvantages which are detrimental to practicalsemployment on a large scale, particularly the two defects that, firstly the uniformity of the delivery of energy disappears as the tension of the spring decreases and, secondly, the tension of the spring suffers during storage. According to my invention, therefore, I use as the driving force for the clockwork not the spring, but the centrifugal force of a weight.

Time-fuses using the centrifugal force of a weight have frequently been proposed heretofore. If they are to be'\ of practical value,'however, they necessitate the interpolation of devices by means of which, in

" spite of variation of the magnitude of the centrifugal force during the running of the clock 'mechanism the magnitude of the driving force is caused to remain constantly unchanged. In well-known arrangements of this type the driving force of the centrifugal weightl is intended to be equalized by a spring, but exact regulation cannot be obtained by such means because the spring in this case precludes all calculation. My invention is characterized by the clockwork being entirely freed from a spring and lits unavoidable'disadvantages, the action of the centrifugal force of the centrifugal weight being regulated in a predetermined mannerby varying its eective moment without the ald of a spring.' The reason of the non-uniformity of the driving force in 'the case of a drive by means of the .centrifugalweight is due to the fact that as the weight swings outward, the moment of the force increases with the increasing distance from the longitudinal axis of the projectile.. According to my invention this non-uniformity is equalized by means acting to produce an exactly predeterminable variation of the moment of Specification o f Letters Patent. Patented July 29, 1913. Application filed March 1o, 1913. serial No. 753,461.

the force. In one embodiment of my invention I effect this by means of. au auxiliary centrifugal weight which, at the commencement of the movement, aids the main weight, but subsequently opposes it, so that a constantly uniform delivery of energy is assured. In another form of my invention the main weight coacts with an intermediate disk having a spiral periphery which is so connected with a disk on the driving shaft of the clockfwork that in spite of the greater force of the centrifugal weight in consequence of its increasing distance from the axis of the projectile, the moment of the forceis kept uniform by diminishing the length of the lever arm through which it acts on said clock-work driving-shaft. Such spiral `intermediate disks (so-called worms) are already well known for regulating the driving force of spring driven clock-work.

The two describedforms of my invention are represented in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is an elevation showing one form, and, Fig. 2 is a like view showing the other form. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View of a fuse-mechanism showing the presentinvention applied thereto. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 4 4 Fig.

3 with parts broken away to show some of the under-lying mechanism.

Referring firstly to Fig. 1, the centrifugal weight p is fast on a toothed segment ciy pivoted at am which gears with a pinion c1 fast on a shaft c connected to a clock-work W (Fig. 3) carrying a disk R for controlling the operation of a firing pin F. The shaft c is also suitably geared to a toothed disk Z) carrying an auxiliary centrifugall weight 291-. As long as the auxiliary weight p1 moves away from the axle c (Fig. l) its action aids the weight 27 with a tangential component of its centrifuga-l force. This augment-ation becomes smaller in proportion as the weight p1 moves outwardly.l In the position 2 of the weight p1 this tangential component becomes equal to zero; on the way from position 2 to 3, (during which time the centrifugal force and' consequently the driving force of the weight p is constantly increasing), the nega the shaft c. In other words, the auxiliary weigh-t p1 has a variable momentffor' compensating for variations in the centrifugal force of the said centrifugal element p.

The rotation of the projectile, when red from a gun, produces a revolution of the Weights p and p1 around the axis of the projecltile, and the centrifugal force produced thereby transmits a turning force to the shaft c through the toothed segment a, disk b, and pinions al, e. Rotation of the shaft c is regulated by an escapement E through a train of gears f, g, 71 c', the shaft c thereby having a slow movement. 'Ihe shaft c carries at its upper end aV (disk R, which VVmoves with it, as in Well-known fuses of the present type. The disk R has a notch r therein, in which a detent H can fall when the notch r'comes opposite the detent. controls the operation of a pivoted lever L which has at one end a sto-p Z which in turn controls the operation of a'second detent O,

- contro-lling the operation ofa pinP. The

' detent H, the detent H Will fall in the notch,`

pin P controls the outward movement of a slide S engaging the under side of the spring-pressed firing pin F. Consequently, when the shaft cis turned a suflicient amount to bring the notch r in disk R opposite the and release -the 'lever L,i the lever L will in i turn release the detent O, and this Will permit the/.pin P to rise, which will release the slide 'S and permit the spring to press the firing pin F into firing contact with the fulminating capv of the shell.

In the form according to Fig. 2 the toothed segment va carrying the centrifugal Weight p acts through a pinion c1 on a disk b1 Which drives through the medium of a tie, e. g. a fine chain, silk thread, coiled steel string 'or the like, a drumor disk b2 fast on the shaft c and having a conical thread or a spiral -on its periphery. As the centrifugal force of the Weight p becomes greater the tie leaves the disk bf at a radius which constantly becomes smaller, whereby the effective moment of: the force transmitted to the mechanism by the shaft 0 remains ,vconstantwhen the conditions are suitably selected. v

In both the described forms, instead of only one toothed vsegment a a second toothed segment a1 having a Weight p2 may be arranged in addition, Whose action is to assist the VWeight preither during the entire movement omas-representedv in Fig. 2, only at Afirst during the initialpart of the movement of said Weightv p.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A driving mechanism for vtime fuses comprising a drlvlngfshaft of a` clock-Work,

a centrifugal element adapted to receive force from the rotation of a projectile when fired The detent rl ,compensate for variations` in the eEect of from a gun, and to impart force to said' driving shaft and means having a variable mo ment for compensating for variations in t-he centrifugal force of' said centrifugal element. l

2. A ldriving mechanism for time fuses .fired from a gun, and to impart force to said driving-shaft, and a second centrifugal element adapted to compensate for variations in the effect of said rst centrifugal lelement upon said driving-shaft.

et. A driving mechanism` for time fuses comprising a driving-shaft of a clock-Work, a centrifugal element adapted to receive force from the rotation of a projectile when tiredffro'm a gun, and to impart force to said driving-shaft, and a second centrifugal element adapted to compensate for variations in the effect f said rst centrifugal element upon said drivng-shvaft through a lmoment variable `With relation to that of the first.

5. A driving mechanism for time fuses comprising a driving-shaft of a clock-Work, a centrifugal element adapted to receive force from the rotation of a projectile When fired fromfa gun, and to impart force to said driving-shaft, and a second centrifugal element adapted to compensate for var-1ations in the effect of said rst centrifugal element upon said driven part, said second' centrifugal element comprising a plvoted Weight. j A

, 6. A driving, mechanism for t-ime 'fuses comprising a driving-shaftof a clock-Work, a centrifugal element geared With said. driving shaft and adapted to impart force thereu to, `and a second centrifugal-element also geared to saiddrivingeshaft and adapted to said lfirst centrifugal element by force. applied through a moment variable with rela-l tion to that of the rst.

In testimony WhereofI have aflixed my l signature in presence of two Witnesses.

A ARTHUR JUNGHANS. Witnesses: f

ERNEST, ENTENMANN, FRIDA KLAIBER. 

